


Ripples 13

by Grey (grey853)



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Angst, Drama, M/M, Multiple Partners, Series: Ripples
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 01:43:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/792577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grey853/pseuds/Grey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>More problems keep the guys on edge.<br/>This story is a sequel to Ripples 12.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ripples 13

## Ripples 13

by Grey

Author's webpage: <http://grey.ravenshadow.net/>

* * *

Disclaimer: Not mine, yet. 

Summary: More problems keep the guys on edge. 

Notes: Thanks to Jenn aka XFreak for the edits and the continuing support. 

Warning: If you don't like the idea of Jim and Blair being involved with Simon, read another story. 

* * *

Ripples 13  
by Grey 

"You did a great job with Simon." 

Blair glanced over at Jim and shrugged as they walked to the elevator. "He's just scared." 

"I know, but he wouldn't listen to me. You had him eating out of your hand in a matter of minutes." 

"Maybe it wasn't what you said, but how you said it." 

Jim frowned at the distracted tone and hit the down button as he slipped on his lightweight jacket. "Maybe. You up for Chinese tonight?" 

"Sure. I might be a little late. I've got an errand to run first." 

"Errand? What kind of errand?" They stepped inside the elevator alone and Jim punched the button for the garage. 

"Just something I need to do. I should be home by seven. Maybe Simon will be there by then and we'll have some news about what Joan's up to." 

Suspicious, Jim grilled his partner for more detail. "What aren't you telling me, Chief?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"I _mean_ , what aren't you telling me?" 

Hesitation kept his head down and his voice low, but he finally answered. "I saw Drew today." 

Jim stiffened and clenched his jaw, his right hand automatically fisting at his side. "And this errand has to do with seeing Marshall?" 

"He looked pretty rough, man. I just want to check on him." 

"And that's your errand, to check up on this guy you dumped?" 

"Dumped? What the fuck are you talking about? Dumped?" 

"Keep your voice down. I just meant he's not your concern anymore, that's all. I'd think you'd be the last person he'd want to see." 

Angry, Blair tensed even more as he crossed his arms and avoided looking in Jim's direction. "Well, excuse me for caring, man. I'm going to go see him and if you've got a problem with that, that's your fucking problem." 

The doors opened and Blair stormed out while Jim stood dumbfounded, not sure whether to be pissed or sorry. Apology won out. "Chief, listen, I didn't mean it like that." 

Ignoring him, Blair opened his door, and climbed in. As he started his engine, Jim stepped to his car window and tapped the glass. "Blair, I'm sorry." 

"You're always sorry after the fact, Jim. I'm tired and I'm worried about Drew and Simon. I don't have time to deal with you being an asshole, too." 

"You don't think I'm worried about Simon?" 

Blair rolled down the window, his face still grim. "I don't know what you're thinking sometimes, man." 

Leaning in, keeping his voice low, Jim whispered. "The thing with Marshall's over, Chief. It's a mistake to go see him. It drags the thing out and makes it hard on both of you. Trust me on this, just leave it. As for Simon, I'm upset, too. What happens with Joan could affect all of us. Come home so we can talk in private." 

"I can't, man. I'll be home later." 

"Come on, Chief, don't do this." 

Without answering, Blair shifted gears and gave Jim enough time to back away from the car before pulling out of his space. Watching him drive off, Jim shook his head, wishing he could stop him and knowing he couldn't control him any more than he could Simon. 

Unsettled, he took out his keys and headed for his truck, his fingers tingling and uncooperative. He fumbled and dropped them twice before he finally took a deep breath and decided he'd have to wait until the feeling came back before driving. 

Shit. 

Fucking senses. 

Jim headed upstairs to see Simon, thinking being a sentinel sucked as much as being in love with men who didn't listen to reason half the time. 

* * *

Seeing no lights in the house, but the Volvo in the drive, Blair knocked on the door. He didn't get an answer and walked around the back to check the greenhouse. Still finding no sign of Drew, he headed towards the deck and found his friend stretched out on the lounge chair, his head back, and his face slack. Several empty wine bottles littered the area around him and the table. 

Fuck. 

"Drew?" He patted his face and waited before shaking his ex-lover and calling his name again. "Drew, come on, man, wake up." 

"Go away." The grumbled command came right before the older man rolled over on his side and groaned. 

"Come on, get up. It's going to rain." 

"Who the fuck cares?" 

"Don't pull this shit, man. Get up. Now." 

Turning over and opening his bloodshot eyes, Drew snapped. "What the fuck do you want?" 

"I want you inside. I'll fix some tea and you can get cleaned up." 

"I don't want your pity." 

Blair ground his teeth and shook his head. "You've got enough of that for both of us, man. I'm your friend whether you want to believe that or not. You're not going to blame me for this shit. You understand that?" 

Anger drained away, Drew's whiskered face paled and he whispered, "I just wanted it to work out, you know? I've been lonely for so long, Blair." 

"I know." Fighting back the sting of blurred vision, Blair held out his hand to help his friend sit up and get his balance. Once on his feet, he slipped his arm around his waist to steady him as he stumbled the first few steps toward the kitchen. Once inside, Drew sat down while the younger man boiled some water. 

After a few long moments of quiet, Drew spoke, his voice raw. "I miss him so much sometimes I can hardly stand it." 

"You loved him." 

"I still do." 

"You don't stop loving someone because he dies." 

"Or goes away." 

"Or goes away." 

"Being with you reminded me of what it could be like again. I forgot how it felt to be with someone I loved." 

Blair sighed and sat down next to Drew and took his hand. "I hate that you're hurting so much. It's my fault." 

Squeezing his hand, Drew's voice choked on the words. "We can't help who we love, Blair. You never lied to me. I knew you were in love with Jim. I was just deceiving myself. I'm a bastard that way." 

"No, you're not." 

"Sure I am. I guess it was the threesome thing that threw me." 

"Why?" 

"I'm not sure. I never figured myself for a bigot." 

"A bigot? You mean because Simon's black?" 

"No. You know me better than that." 

"I thought I did." 

"It's just the idea of being with two men at once and neither of them is me. It's kind of a double standard." 

"I still don't get it." 

Swallowing hard, meeting Blair's eyes, Drew's words steadied. "If you'd wanted to be with Jim and stayed with me, too, I would've said yes. I wanted you that much. But you never asked. Now you're with another man at the same time as Jim and I can't stand it." Closing his eyes, he used both hands to clasp theirs together. "I hate sounding so pathetic." 

"You're not pathetic, Drew, just hurt. I never meant for this to happen." 

"I know you didn't. It's my fault, not yours." Pulling away, Drew stood up, his face grim. "Jesus, I'm almost fifty for godsakes and I'm acting like some fucking heart-broken teenager. Look, why don't you go on home? I promise to behave." 

Blair hesitated before he spoke, his voice cautious. "What about the drinking?" 

"I don't drink that much." 

"Come on, Drew. This has happened before." 

"I'm fine." As Blair started to speak, Drew held up a hand. "I promise, no more drinking in excess. I know it's a rotten habit, but the wagon just moved too damn fast for a minute. I'll be okay. Promise." 

"You're sure?" 

"Absolutely. I just need to get my bearings again. I kind of fell overboard." 

Standing and walking closer, Blair wrapped his arms around his friend's waist and hugged him. "I couldn't stand it if you drowned, man." 

"I learned to swim before you were born, Blair." He kissed the top of his curls and nudged him away. "Now, go on home." 

"Call me in the morning." 

"Sure." 

"Promise." 

"Stop being a pest and go, okay? I'm fine." The words came out teasing, but with a renewed strength Blair admired. 

"You don't and I'm out here again. Got it?" 

"Got it. Jesus, you're getting pushy. Must be the cop influence." 

"Must be." 

As he headed out the door, Drew called out. "Tell Ellison and that captain of yours they're a couple of lucky sons of bitches." 

"Yeah, like they would listen." 

* * *

Jim tapped his fingertips together relieved that he could finally feel his skin again. 

Simon sat down beside him, his arm around the back of the sofa and behind Jim. "Up and running?" 

"Yeah. Thanks for driving me home." 

"This happen before?" 

"Once, right after Danny died." 

"And when did this start?" 

"Right before I came back in to see you." Jim stood up and went to the refrigerator. "Want a beer now that I can hold a bottle?" 

"Sure. Jim?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Has anything else been going on to make you lose your sense of touch like that?" 

Jim shook his head and handed Simon his beer before sitting back down again. "I never know what's going to happen with this senses shit." He took a big swallow and leaned his head back trying to relax, but still anxious and uneasy. "So what did Joan say?" 

"I told you on the way over here, she's not going to tell me until I see her tomorrow. I swear, Jim, I never realized what a bitch she can be." 

"What'd she say when you told her you knew about the private detective?" 

Simon hesitated and leaned forward, putting his open beer on the table. "She didn't deny it. She said Daryl would be at his grandmother's this weekend, so we could talk alone. Jim, I don't like it. Daryl just went to see her mom a month ago and hated it. Spent the whole next weekend complaining about having nothing to do." 

"You think she's going to try to keep you from seeing him?" 

"She'd better not." 

Jim took a deep breath and touched Simon's back lightly. "What if she knows about us?" 

The muscles under his hand flinched slightly, the involuntary shudder running up and down his spine. "She couldn't know about Sandburg yet, but she might have heard about you spending the night those two times at my place." 

"We work together, Simon. We'll just say we worked late and I stayed over. She knows we're friends." 

"Lie?" 

"What? You want to admit the truth if she asks?" 

"I don't know, Jim. I'm not sure what to do." 

Shifting forward, Jim draped his arm around Simon's shoulders and pulled him closer, resting his cheek against his and then kissing him before pulling back. "You'll protect your son. You know Joan better than I do, but she never struck me as that spiteful. Even if she suspects, she can't prove anything. We're not throwing it in anybody's face." 

"She might think she needs to protect Daryl." 

"Protect Daryl from what? His father? She can't be that ignorant." 

"I never thought she'd do something like this, hire a private detective to follow me around, either. Hell, I can't believe I didn't pick up on it." 

"Maybe we should talk to the PI. Find out what he told her." 

"We'll know soon enough." 

"It's better to be prepared, Simon. Why don't I go talk to this Sanders guy and see what we're up against?" 

Simon patted his thigh and shook his head. "No. That would make it look like we're worried, like we've really got something to hide." 

"We do have something to hide." 

"But we don't want her to know that." Looking at his watch, Simon frowned. "Where's the kid?" 

Pulling away and picking up his beer again, Jim sat back. "Said he'd be here later." 

Simon turned and studied him. "What's wrong?" 

"Who said anything was wrong?" 

"Just that tone tells me that something happened. What?" 

"God, you're worse than Sandburg. Nothing happened. Shit." Standing up, Jim walked over to the window, his hand running back over the top of his head. The hair bristled against his fingers as his palms tingled and went numb again. Before he could control it, his right hand dropped the bottle, the brown glass shattering over the floor. "Well, fuck." 

"What just happened?" 

"It's happening again." 

"What? The numbness?" 

"I don't know what's wrong." Jim closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his middle. 

"Are your other senses okay?" 

"I've got a headache." 

"Why don't you lie down for awhile? We'll ask Blair what to do when he gets home." 

"If he gets home." 

"What?" 

"Nothing." 

"Jim, come on, talk to me here. What's going on?" 

Reluctantly, Jim opened his eyes and took in his lover's concerned stare. "I'm okay. It'll pass. It always does." 

"Jim, this is the second time today you've lost control of your senses. Now, I want to know what the fuck's wrong with you." 

Sitting down, Jim shook his head, the thumping right above his right eye growing more persistent. "Blair went to see Marshall." 

"So?" 

"So? It doesn't bother you?" 

"Why should it? They're still friends, right?" 

"Yeah, but he's worried about him. He wasn't going to tell me he was going to see the guy until I asked him." 

"Wonder why?" 

Meeting Simon's aggravated expression, Jim snapped, "What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Look how you're acting." 

"How am I acting?" 

"Like you don't trust him." 

"I do trust him, but I just don't get why he has to drag this thing out, make it some kind of crusade to take care of this guy even though he's with me now." 

"With us now." 

"Same thing." 

"No, it's not. And that's what this is all about, your senses are messed up because you can't deal with Blair being with anyone but you." 

"That's not true. I thought I proved that last night by letting you fuck him twice." 

"By _letting_ me fuck him?" 

"Shit, Simon. I'm not a suspect here. You don't have to turn everything I say around." 

Simon ground his jaw and crossed his arms, his anger driving the words into a harsh stream. "I don't have to turn anything around, Ellison. You do well enough on your own. I told you before, you're going to fuck this up if you can't get a handle on your insecurity. Blair loves you. I love you. Isn't that enough?" 

"Of course, it is. I never said it wasn't. And I'm _not_ insecure." 

"Jesus, you don't even see it." 

"See what?" 

"How you think we both belong to you, but we can't belong to each other." 

"That's not true, Simon." Jim swallowed hard, his temper gone and his fear raging instead. "I like you and Blair being together, it just..." 

"Just what?" 

"Seeing you love him, seeing how he loves you, it just scares me." 

"Why in the hell would it scare you?" 

It took several long seconds and a war with his tongue to get the awful words out. "Because you could both be happy together without me." 

Simon's face softened as he stepped over and sat down next to him. Taking Jim's hand in his, he rubbed the palm, the lazy touch of the finger tips hazy but growing more real. "Do you feel that?" 

"Yeah, I think so." 

"Then feel this." Lips took his, the tongue pushing in, the flavor all slick and full of Simon. Pulling back, the larger man cupped his face. "I want this to work more than anything I've ever done except be a father, but I can't do it alone, Jim. I'm not here to steal away Blair and he's not here to betray you by loving me. Why can't you believe that?" 

Bringing Simon's hand to his lips, Jim kissed his lifeline, his eyes blurred and his heart too tight in his chest. "I do believe it. I just forget sometimes." 

Using his free hand to cradle the back of his head, Simon brought him to his chest and rocked him gently. "Then we're going to have to work on it. I'm not giving up, Jim, but you've got to try harder." 

"I want to." 

"Then do it. You're the most stubborn bastard I know besides me. You can beat this thing." 

Lifting his head, finally smiling, Jim ran his finger along Simon's jawline and then brushed their lips together. "I'm an asshole." 

"No argument, but you're my asshole, and Blair's." 

"He's on his way up, by the way." 

"Good. He can help me figure out what the hell to do with your sorry ass." 

Simon's mouth closed over his and launched his dreams for the night. He swam in the visions of having both men deliver him back to more secure ground, a safe place where he didn't see himself alone and senseless, unable to even ask for help because no one bothered to hang around. 

The End 


End file.
